Elk Cornbread Casserole

One of my favorite dishes to serve to family and friends is a tasty elk cornbread casserole. It’s easy to prepare and uses ground elk, which you hopefully have plenty of in your freezer.

This casserole is a quick and easy crowd-pleaser, combining elk, chopped onion, yellow bell pepper, sweet corn, a blend of spices and mild shredded cheese. But the pièce de resistance that makes this casserole so irresistible is the cornbread batter topping. You can make your favorite cornbread from scratch, or if you’re pressed for time any store-bought cornbread mix will work fine. Just be sure to follow the directions on the package so you have at least 2 cups of prepared batter.

The batter covers the entire dish, locking in the medley of flavors. Before you know it, you’ll end up with a golden-brown cornbread crust that adds a sweet, rich texture to every satisfying bite.

Serves: 6+Preparation Time: 25 minutesCooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground elk

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

25 oz can yellow corn, drained

14.75 oz can yellow creamed corn

2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded

2 tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon chile powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 lb cornbread mix (ex: Marie Callender’s just add water)

Garnishments: salsa, pickled jalapenos and cilantro

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions, yellow bell pepper and garlic cooking for about 5 minutes or until onions become translucent and soft. Add ground elk meat and cook until browned. Season the meat mixture with cumin powder, chili powder and salt. Pour in the corn and stir to ensure all ingredients are combined. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, add cornbread mix and 1 ½ cups water. Mix until lumps disappear. Note: If you prefer to use another cornbread mix, you will need 2 cups of prepared cornbread batter for this recipe.

Using a 9×13 inch baking pan, pour about ¼ cup of the cornbread batter on the bottom of the baking pan. Add the ground elk mixture to the pan and top with 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour the remaining cornbread batter over the top and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Add the remainder of the cheese to the top of the cornbread and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

10 Comments

Jodi

I made your delicious elk burgundy recipe, so far and it was fabulous! I am planning on making this yummy recipe soon. I have a question about the ingredients. Are the ounces right for the creamed and regular corn? (25 oz can yellow corn, 75 oz can yellow creamed corn) It just seems like a lot of creamed corn. Thank you so much for these amazing recipes. I am a fan! Thanks, Jodi

Lee

Made this tonight with Venison and cast iron dutch oven. Yum O! A great stomach filling meal. I used Trader Joe’s cornbread, followed their directions, and added some green chilies. This would make great Pot Luck dish.

NevadaFoodies

Lee, I totally agree with you about the pot luck dish. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how your version turned out. This is for sure a filling meal – that’s why I had to share with the neighbors last time I made it. Have a great day. Kristy

Tim

I know, lots of reviews today! I need to catch up and I did promise Kristy I would finally post my favorites.

Well the Mexican Elk Cornbread Caserole is #1! I could eat this a couple time a week. We load up on the chipotle and pickled jalapeños, not because it needs it, but because we like it a little spicier. We also use most of a second package of the Jiffy cornbread to make a bit more crust. If you only make one recipe, this is it. I will be trying it with the Bison to see if it changes anything.

Lauren

Just a silly question, the recipe doesn’t say you need to prepare the cornbread mix, but I’m assuming you add the other ingredients in the cornbread mix according to the package as well. I’m looking forward to trying this out with our elk!

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Wild Game Recipes | Made in Nevada

I never grew up in a family of hunters or outdoorsmen. I never knew what it was like to go fishing, camping, shoot a gun or even think of harvesting an animal for food. Then at an early age I met a hunter who introduced me to an entirely new world I never knew existed. What can I say… I was hooked. I learned how to cast a fly rod, how to clean a fish, how to spot-n-stalk, how to pull the trigger and then I quickly learned about respect.READ MORE